Here in the Southern Nicoya we have a very long and extended dry period. If the past years are any indication the dry season seems to be getting hotter, dryer and longer than previous years. If you are not using a drip Irrigation system , now’s the time to start. It’s a highly efficient method of watering your gardens and helps to conserve that precious resource.
The following are benefits of a drip irrigation system;
Water less: Studies show that a drip system will use less than 30% and in some cases up to 50% less water than other irrigation methods.
Less Weeds: By using drip irrigation and not sprinkler irrigation there are less weeds to weed which is another bonus. This means more time for surfing, fishing or lying in the hammock 🙂
Save time: For most people there are a number of activities that we would all like to do instead of watering with a hose. Drip systems eliminate the dragging of hoses and sprinklers. The system can operate with a simple shut off valve or you can install a timer and it all happens automatically.
Healthier Gardens: If you apply mulch in conjunction with your drip irrigation the plants grow quicker , healthier and utilize the water more efficiently. You can also utilize water soluble fertilizer feeding using a drip irrigation system. By applying water directly to the root zone and not wetting plant foliage there are less chance of fungus attacking leaf foliage.
When designing drip systems it is important to understand the differences in the various types of systems. Drip systems can include soaker hoses which are great for row crops such as pineapples, melons or a line of Hibiscus. However most gardens are not row crops so the need for other types of systems are important. These other drip systems use a politieleno tubing that have either micro tubing with drip stakes or have drip emitters placed in the main tubing. The general idea for any system is the drip irrigation move water at low pressure through tubing and distributes it to precise locations and specific plants in the garden. To utilize a drip system properly your initial garden design is extremely important. Designing your landscape properly from the beginning will allow you to design your drip system to work more efficiently, specifically you will not be watering a tropical flowering Heliconia in the same system as a drought resistant plant. However if you have an existing garden with different plants requiring individual watering requirements you can make some adjustments to the system where the heavier water requiring plants will not suffer from lack of water and your drought resistant plants will not receive overwatering. This requires a little more planning and using some other watering methods within the same system. Some other watering methods would be bubble type sprinklers which release more water using the same main drip tubing that the emitters or drip stakes use. Nonetheless the gardener is still following drip irrigation principles where the water is distributed directly to specific plants and the root zone.
The first step in designing a drip irrigation system is deciding what you want the system to water. Is it only for a small vegetable garden, dry xeriscape garden or will you use drip irrigation for your entire property?
Come by and visit or Home & Garden Center to see our drip irrigation system. We can help you design a system for you whether it’s a starter kit for a small garden or an overall design for a large property.
Composting is not a revolutionary idea. It’s a place where you reuse/ recycle organic waste into fertilizer. by returning household wastes into your gardens you can help with garden productivity and reduce household waste heading the dump (basureros).
People have been composting for centuries. There is no 100% right way to compost , however there are methods that produce better results.
Living soil contains many types of beneficial micro organisms. The micro organisms function to decompose organic matter into nutrients to feed the microbe populations. To create good decomposition and allow the microorganisms to function properly composting needs the following;
Air:
Aerobic micro organisms need to air to live. By moving your compost pile regularly you assist in growing the microbes and they in turn decompose the pile much quicker.
Water:
Water is important for microbes to grow, however it is important to not apply to much. You can’t have too much air but you can definitly have too much water. I have seen compost piles that were piles of wet muck with little or no decomposition. The compost should be moist which is a good reason to cover the pile here during rainy season to protect it from heavy rains.
Temperature:
This is the great thing about living in the tropics particularly here in the Southern Nicoya, there is no shortage of sun or heat. These microbes function great at high heat. As a result maintaining your compost pile in a sunny area will advance decomposition providing your compost with quicker results than in a shady spot. We can assist creating the high temperature by covering the pile with plastic.
It is of the upmost importance to provide a good balance of these three components.
There are very few things you can’t compost. However to create good compost the balance between different materials will affect the process and therefore the results. Its important to use what you have around the house or property. Composting shouldn’t be difficult, complicated or expensive. Some materials you can use are dried leaves, kitchen wastes ( except citrus), manures, grass cutting, charcoal (carbon), banana stalks, and soil.
Create your pile by layering then mix it all together, moisten, cover and viola, composted soil!! If you are concerned about animals around your compost then keeping animal wastes such as meat products is important. however if you area is fenced and animal proof then you can add those items. A good balance between leaves, grass, manures, soil, and kitchen wastes are important. Sometimes it is trial and error to see how much of each material is needed for good composting. The materials such as grasses, banana stalks, and branches should be small enough in size that they can be mixed well with the other materials.
The more you move your pile by turning it the quicker it will be ready to use. When using kitchen wastes you must mix those in initially to your pile with the other materials. You cannot keep adding new materials or the compost will never complete. For this reason at La Hoja Nueva we often have 3-4 piles going so when one is ready for use another one is just starting.
There is nothing like creating compost then using it in your gardens to feel a sense of satisfaction.
Neem oil comes from the tree Azadirachta indica, a South Asian and Indian plant common as an ornamental shade tree. Neem oil can be extracted from most parts of the tree, but the seeds hold the highest concentration of the insecticidal compound. The effective compound is Azadirachin and it is found in highest amounts in the seeds. There are numerous neem oil uses, but gardeners praise it for its anti-fungal and pesticide properties.
It is a useful repellant for mites and used to manage over 200 other species of chewing or sucking insects , including:
scale
whiteflies
aphids
Neem oil can be used as a fungicide as well to combat fungus, rust and molds.
We use neem oil as a foliar spray applied early in the morning or late in afternoon. The oil can burn some foliage on trees so it’s best to apply a little as a test and see the result. Our experience shows the Neem Oil to assist against Snow Scale on citrus and other fruit trees. The Neem oil is mixed with water and sprayed to the trunk, branches and foliage. Normally we saw result after weekly applications for 4 weeks and then every 15 days as a control prevention. You can also use the neem oil in combination with micro organisms and foliar fertlizers as they help protect micro organism and act as a adherent to leaves.
Neem oil insecticide works as a systemic in many plants when applied as a soil drench. Once the product is in the plant’s vascular system, insects intake it during feeding. The compound causes insects to reduce or cease feeding, can prevent larvae from maturing, reduces or interrupts mating behavior and, in some cases, the oil coats the breathing holes of insects and kills them. Neem can come in the form of dried cakes and mixed into soil mediums where they prevent and assist against nematode problems.
There is also some reported uses of neem oil used as an anti pesticide property in dogs and cats. Again anyone who would like to try the neem oil should consult a Veterinary professional and discuss that use.
There has been concern about the use of neem oil and bees. Most studies specify that if neem oil is used inappropriately, and in massive quantities, it can cause harm to small hives, but has no effect on medium to large hives. Additionally, since neem oil insecticide does not target bugs that do not chew on leaves, most beneficial insects, like butterflies and ladybugs, are considered safe.
